Cork-feeding mechanism.



I. BINDER & E..ALBERTI.

CORK FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIO. 191s.

Patented Mar. 11,1919.

5 SHEETS- SHEET INVENTORS J. BINDEM E. ALBERTI.

CORK FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, I918.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

5 SHEE TSSHEET 2.

l/VVENTURS BY W v6( ATTORNEX J. BINDER & E. ALBERT]. CORK FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED M AYlU, WW. 7 1,296,743. Patented Mar. 11,1919.

s SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ELM/w J. BINDER & E. AL BERTI.

CORK FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIO. I918 1,-296,'743.- Patented Mar. 11,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

l/Vl/E/VTORS, I 4:5. W

/%' ATTORNEY J. BINDER & E. ALBERT] CORK FEEDING MECHANISM.

PLICATI N FILED M s. 1,296,743. Patented Mar. 11,1919.

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AITOR/V pnrran s'rnrns PATENT orrron.

JOHN BINDER AND EMILIO ALBERTI, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO INTERNA- TIONAL CORK COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,'A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

CORK-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

Application filed May 10, 1918. Serial No. 233,778.

3 To all whom it may concern:

' preferably a belt conveyor, on which they are sorted, that is to say on which the broken corks or disks, as the case may be, are separated from the perfect product.

In devices of this type heretofore in use the massof corks or disks is placed into a receptacle, from which they are lifted by a bucket conveyer and dropped onto a screen,

that forwards them to the belt conveyer.

Theendless chain of buckets travels through the mass of corks or cork disks and has a tendency to injure the corks or break the disks. Another defect of this arr ngement consists in that the entire mass of corks or disks cannot be removed from the receptacle by bucket conveyers, no 'matter how well they be constructed.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a feeding mechanism, which overcomes the defects mentioned, that is to say wherein not only are the corks or disks prevented from being injured or broken, but also the entire mass is conveniently transported to the support or belt conveyor.

With these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the

changes may be made in the size and pro- 7 portion of the several parts and details of construction within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages 7 of the invention.

Two of the many possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :Figure 1 1s atop elevation of a feeding mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, on a larger scale, taken through a screen employed on the feeding mechanism, in combination with means which intermittently permits of a flow of the corks or disks from the hopper of the device into the said screen; Fig. 4 is a section taken on line H of Fig. 3; Figs 5 is a'section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal central section taken through a modified screen and Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now'first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the numeral '10' indicates a hopper, supported by standards 11. This hopper comprises a front wall 12, side walls 13, a'

slanting bottom 14 and a slanting rear wall 15. This rear wall is pivoted near its lower transverse edge, at 16, to the sides 13 of the hopper, whereby its incline in relation to the bottom maybe varied according to the requirements, for a purpose hereinafter to be described. To hold the rear wall of the hopper in any desired. position, there are fulcrumed to the same at 17 legs 18, which are united by a transverse tie-rod 19. The lower free ends of these legs are pointed,

as clearly shown at '20, and are adapted toengage with teeth 21, formed upon rails 22,

This opening is surrounded by an annular member :24, attached in any suitable manner, for instanceby screw bolts 25, to the outer face of the said front wall. This annular member serves as a bearing for a rotary drum 26, that comprises a cylindrical shell 27. open at the end which reaches 'into'the said annular member, and closed at the op-.

posite end by an annular head 28 and a hollow body 29, in the form of a frustum of a cone, that is open at its'basc adjoining the head28 and closed at its free end by a head 30. The hollow body projects into the 'drum and is of a height that is substantially smaller than the length of the drum. In the conical wall of the hollow body is formed an opening 31, that extends throughout the height of the saidbody, its size being ad justable by a shutter 32,for a purpose here head 30. This plane portion is pivoted at 35, centrally, to the head 30, and is provided with an arc-shaped slot 36, through Which extends a clamping screw 37, carried by the head 30. By means of this mechanism, the position of the shutter in relation to the g body '29 may be adjusted, to vary the size of the opening 31 therein.

Within the drum is disposed a curved vane 38, corresponding in width to the height of the hollow body 29, and having one of its ends, denoted by the numeral 39, attached, adjacent the opening 31, to the said hollow body, its other end, denoted by the numeral 40, being secured to the cylindrical wall of the drum 26. This vane abuts against the head 28 of the drum 26.

To the drum is fastened a screening device 41 of the drum type. The longitudinal axis of this screening device coincides with that of the drum 26, as clearly shown in the drawings; The screen comprises two rings 42 and 42 connected by bars 43, which are spaced apart and constitute the wall of the screening drum. The distance between adjoining bars is such as to permit broken corks and foreign matter to fall through, but prevents full-sized corks from leaving the screen. 'The screening drum is open at both of its ends, and is held upon the drum 26 by-tie-bars 44, the inner ends of which are screwed into the head 28 of the drum 26, while their outer ends engage an annular member 45, that abuts against the ring 42 above mentioned. The annular member 45 is provided with a'spider 46, on which is centrally formed a journal 47, the latter be? ing rotatably mounted in a bearing 48. This 7 bearing is carried by a bracket 49, that is onto a support, in the present case onto a belt conveyor, shown diagrannnatically at 50. Rotation may be imparted to the drum 26 and the screen connected therewith in any suitable manner, for instance there may beformed upon thcdrum 26 a pulley 51, over which runs a belt 52, receiving motion from any suitable source of power;

The operation of this device is as follows :A mass of corks, to be transported to the support 50, is placed into the hopper 10. The size of the op'ening'31 in the hollow body 29 is adjusted to permit of a suitable number of corks to pass therethrough, at a time. If rotation is imparted to the drum 26 and the screening device 41 carried thereby (said members rotating in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. A} of the drawings), the curved vane 38 acts as a scoop, picking up, during each revolution of the drum, a number of corks, that have slid into the drum,'carrying thesame upward, whereby they drop through the opening 31 into the hollow body 29, in which they slide into the screening device 41. On this screen, the broken pieces and foreign matter are sifted out from the mass, the full-sized corks passing onto the conveyor 50, where the attendant removes the imperfect ones, allowing the perfect product to travel on the conveyer in the direction of the arrow shown adjacent the same in Fig. 2 of the draw.- ings, from which they fall into a receptacle, not shown. The feeding of thecorks onto the belt-conveyer is, obviously, intermittent, as the curved vane 38 runs through an arc of about 180 degrees idle during eachr'evolution of the drum 26. The position of the slanting rear wall 15 o the hopper may be adjusted without interfering with the operation of the feeding means. As the supply of corks within the hopper decreases, this slanting rearwallis brought nearer to a vertical position, causing the corks on the bottom to slide'toward the discharge opening thereof. In this mana ner theentire mass of corks can be removed from the hopper.

1. A feeding device for corks or the :like,

including a hopper having a-discharge opening, a rotarydrum in communication with said opening provided with an outlet, means within said drum for elevating the corks or the like therein and causing the same to pass through said outlet, and means for adj us'ting the size of saidoutlet.

A feeding device for corks or the like, incl uding'a hopper having a discharge opening, a said opening provided with an outlet, means within said drum nXedthe-reto for elevating the corks or the like therein andcausing the same to pass through said outlet, and-means for adjusting the size of 'said'outlet.

3. A feedingdevice for corks or the like, including a hopper having a discharge opening, a rotary drum in communication with said opening through one of its ends, an annular head provided with a hollow body 'eX- tending into said drum and closing theother end of the latter, said hollow body being rotary drum in commimication with V open at its base adjoining said annular head 7 and provided with an opening within said drum, means within said drum for elevating the corks or the like there n and causing the same to pass through the opening in said hollow body, and means for adjusting the size of the opening in said hollow body.

4. A feeding device for corks or the like, including a hopper having a discharge opening, a rotary drum in communication with 7 and provided with an opening within said drum, means within said drum fixed thereto for elevating the corks or the like therein and causing the same to pass through the opening in said hollow body, and means for adjusting the size of the opening in said hollow body.

5. A feeding device for corks or the like, including a hopper having a discharge opening, a rotary drum in communication with said opening through one of its ends, an annular head provided with a hollow body extending into said drum and closing the other end of the latter, said hollow body being open at its base adjoining said annular head and provided with an opening within said drum, a fixed vane within said drum abutting against said annular head and extending from the opening in said hollow body toward the cylindrical portion of said drum for elevating the corks or the like therein and permitting the same to pass through the opening in said hollow body, and means for adjusting the size of the opening in said hollow body.

6. A feeding device for corks or the like, including a hopper having a discharge opening, a rotary drum in communication with said opening through one of itsends, an annular head provided with a hollow body extending into said drum and closing the other end of the latter, said hollow body being open at its base adjoining said annular head and provided with an opening within said drum, 2. fixed curved vane within said drum abutting against said annular head and extending from the opening in said hollow body toward the cylindrical portion of said drum for elevating the corks or the like therein and permitting the same to pass through the opening in said hollow body, andmcans for adjusting the size of the opening in said hollow body.

7. A feeding device for corks or the'like, including a hopper having a discharge opening, a rotary drum in. communication with said opening through one of its ends, an annular head provided with a hollow conical said drum, means within said drum fixed body extending into said drum and closing the other end of the latter, said hollow body being open at its base adjoining said annular head and provided with an opening within said drum, means within said drum for elevating the corks or the like therein and causing the same to pass through the opening in said hollow body, and. a screening drum attached to said first-named drum and adapted to receive the corks or the like passing through said hollow body.

8. A feeding device for corks or the like, including a hopper having a discharge opening, a rotary drum in communication with said opening through one of its ends, an an nular head provided with a hollow conical body extending into said drum and closing the other end of the latter, said hollow body being open at its base adjoining said annular head and provided with an opening within thereto for elevating the corks or the like therein and causing the same to pass through the opening in said hollow body, and a screening drum attached to said first-named drum and adapted to receive the corks or the like passing through said hollow body.

9. A feeding device for corks or the like, including an inclined drum comprising a shell open at one end and closed at its other end by an annular head provided with a hollow conical body extending into said drum, said hollow body being open at its base adjoining said annular head and provided with an opening within said drum, and means within said drum for elevating the corks or the like therein and causing the same, to pass through the opening in said hollow body.

10. A feeding device for corks or the like, including an inclined drum comprising a shell open at one end and closed at its other end by an annular head provided with a hollow conical body extending into said drum, said hollow body being open at its base adjoining said annular head and provided with an opening within said drum, and a fixed curved vane within said drum abutting against said annular head and ex tending from the opening in said hollow body toward the shell of said drum for elevating the corks or the like therein and permitting the same to pass through the opening in said hollow body.

Signed at New York, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, this 8th day of May, A. D. 1918.

JOHN BINDER. EMILIO ALBERTL Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G, 

